County food-access profile · California
Sierra County, CA
Sierra County sits among the counties with the widest food-access gaps the USDA tracks, most residents here live well outside a comfortable walk or drive to a supermarket. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.
- 88.2%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 9.8%
- on SNAP
- 3K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
88.2% of Sierra County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 804
- food-desert residents
- 6.5%
- households, no vehicle
- 4.4%
- below poverty line
Low access = living more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket. Food deserts add a low-income condition (USDA LILA, 1-and-10-mile measure).
Sierra County carries one of the more serious food-access burdens the USDA Atlas tracks: its low-access share of 88.2% is well above the national share. 1 of the county's 1 census tracts fall into that category, areas where residents live far from a supermarket, covering about 2,859 people. None of them meet the low-income condition that would additionally classify them as food deserts.
How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts
The USDA measures food access by distance to the nearest supermarket. A census tract is "low-access" when a meaningful share of residents live more than one mile from a supermarket in urban areas, or more than ten miles in rural areas. A tract becomes a "food desert" only when it is both low-access and low-income, because distance is far harder to overcome for households without a car or a cushion in the budget. Counts on this page are aggregated from the tract level, where the federal data is actually published, so a single county figure can hide neighbourhoods that are much better or much worse served than the average. Distance also does not capture everything that shapes whether a family eats well: the presence of a full-service grocer rather than a convenience store, public transit, food pantries, and the price and quality of what is on the shelf all matter beyond the radius the Atlas can draw.
How Sierra County compares nationally
Sierra County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 88.2% low-access share outpaces 97% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #84 most-affected nationwide.
Sierra County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 1 census tracts in Sierra County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Sierra County vs. other California counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in California
- Sierra
Sierra County, CA
88.2 % low-access
- Alameda 8.1
Alameda County, CA
8.1 % low-access
- Alpine
Alpine County, CA
57 % low-access
- Amador 0.2
Amador County, CA
0.2 % low-access
- Butte 19.1
Butte County, CA
19.1 % low-access
- Calaveras 14.7
Calaveras County, CA
14.7 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 1 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 3,240 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 2,859 |
| Low-Access Share | 88.2%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 804 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 2,746 |
| Median Household Income | $63,355 |
| Poverty Rate | 4.4%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 119 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 9.8%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.5%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 3.8% |
About 9.8% of Sierra County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 88.2% of residents are low-access, well above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 9.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 119 households here.
- 6.5% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- Median household income is $63,355 with a 4.4% poverty rate.
USDA low-access figures reflect the 2019 Atlas (2010 tract populations); socioeconomic context is the latest Census ACS 5-year (2024).
What the food-access data shows for Sierra County
well above the national share
A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 1.
An estimated 2,859 residents, roughly 88.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 804 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
SNAP retailers in Sierra County
Sierra County has 5 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 3 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 3 locations (60% of the total), followed by large grocery store.
Convenience Store · 3
- downieville grocery ln, downieville
- sierraville service & country store, sierraville
- white sierra station, loyalton
Large Grocery Store · 1
- leonards markets, loyalton
Small Grocery Store · 1
- sierra country store, sierra city
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in California
Compare Sierra County vs Alameda County → · All California counties →
Food access nationally, California in context
Sierra County sits inside California (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Understand the Data
Frequently Asked Questions
What share of Sierra County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Sierra County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Sierra County? ▼
Is Sierra County a food desert? ▼
What share of Sierra County households lack a vehicle? ▼
Data Sources & Methodology
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019): low-access and food-desert tract classifications, low-access population, and low-income low-access counts. ers.usda.gov/food-access-research-atlas
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates: population, median income, poverty, SNAP participation, vehicle access, and group quarters. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
Low access is defined as living more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket; a food desert adds a low-income condition. Read the full methodology →
Data current as of (most recent source-data vintage; figures reflect the 2019 USDA Atlas and 2024 Census ACS).
Note: This page presents public USDA and Census data for informational purposes and is not professional advice. Figures reflect the cited dataset vintages and may differ from the most recent local conditions. How this data is sourced & verified.